Reference:5512

Submariner › 5512

Rolex 5512 Submariner

The 5512 is a no-date Submariner introduced in 1959 with crown guards. Early examples can have two-line, non-chronometer dials; later examples carry the four-line chronometer text. It ran alongside the 5513 for most of its life as the chronometer version of the pair. Nicholas Foulkes's Rolex-commissioned Submariner book gives total 5512 production as 17,338 watches.

Core facts

detail	value
reference	5512
family	Submariner (no date, chronometer)
production	approximately 1959 to 1978/1979
total production	17,338 units
movement	caliber 1530 (early), 1560 (mid), 1570 (late)
case	39.5–40mm, first Submariner with crown guards
crystal	acrylic
dial path	chronometer (COSC four-line) and early non-chronometer two-line

Where it sits in the line

The 5512 was the chronometer version of the no-date Submariner, while the 5513 used non-chronometer movements. That distinction explains the references’ position in the catalogue, but it does not make every early 5512 a chronometer: the first two-line examples are an exception.

Production outline

The 17,338 total is a published estimate rather than a surviving Rolex production ledger. Published 5513 totals are not consistent enough to use as a precise production ratio here.

The run is easiest to follow through changes in crown-guard shape, dial construction, and movement. Those changes overlap; none should be treated as a clean factory break.

Crown guard generations

• 
  Square crown guards (1959)
• 
  Eagle beak crown guards
• 
  Pointed Cornino crown guards
• 
  Round crown guards (1964+)

Four production generations are documented for the 5512. The table below maps the key variables for each.

Generation	Period	Crown guards	Dial	Movement
1	1959	Square	Gloss gilt, Chapter Ring	Cal. 1530 is the documented early pairing; individual examples need checking
2	1959–1963	Pointed (Cornino)	Gloss gilt, Chapter Ring; 2-line and 4-line	Cal. 1530 or 1560
3	Mid-1960s	Pointed (Cornino)	Gloss gilt, 4-line only	Cal. 1560
4	From about 1963/64	Rounded	Matte, white print	Cal. 1560

Serial band ranges are collector approximations drawn from caseback production stamps and known examples, not Rolex factory records; Rolex does not confirm vintage production dates. Watches near a transition point may not match the expected configuration.

Generation 1 — Square crown guards, 1959

The square-crown-guard 5512 is the first form in the run. The guards are blunt and straight, and Rolex changed the shape quickly because the profile made the crown difficult to reach. Published collector sources do not establish a reliable population count. Early examples are associated with gloss gilt, chapter-ring dials; the movement pairing should be verified on the individual watch.

On gilt dials the gold-coloured text is exposed brass under black gloss, not gold paint on top. Silver text, when present, sits above the lacquer. That layered construction explains why gilt dials age differently from later matte printed dials.

The square, eagle-beak, and pointed forms overlap in early examples. The terminology is collector usage, and the case, dial, and movement should be assessed together.

Generation 2 — Pointed "Cornino" crown guards, ~1960–1963

Generation 2 moves to pointed Cornino guards during the early 1960s. The shift was not perfectly clean, and transitional examples exist. Both two-line and four-line dials appear in the early run, so a 5512 is not automatically a four-line chronometer. Movements include the 1530 and 1560 depending on the watch’s date and configuration.

Generation 3 — Pointed "Cornino" crown guards, mid-1960s

Still Cornino guards, but by this stage only four-line dials appear. Movement is caliber 1560. Dial is still gloss gilt.

Generation 4 — Rounded crown guards, late 1960s

The transition from pointed to rounded guards is generally placed around 1963–64. Dial printing shifts from gilt to matte around the middle of the decade, with overlap at the boundary. The rounded case continues through the long matte phase.

Early crown-guard and gilt years

• 
  1966 Bart Simpson coronet
• 
  1963 Classic coronet
• 
  1961-62 Tulip coronet
• 
  1961-62 longer spikes coronet
• 
  1961-62 MK1 Old Font coronet
• 
  1959-60 four-line gilt dial
• 
  1959-60 two-line gilt dial

The 5512 starts in the glossy gilt dial era, with a glossy black dial and gilt-coloured printing in place of the later matte style. Early gilt 5512 watches with square or pointed crown guards are documented early configurations; originality and condition vary by watch.

Matte years

The matte era follows and carries most of the long middle and late production. This is where meters-first and feet-first language starts to matter; those terms describe whether the dial prints 200m before 660ft or the reverse. Late in the run, Maxi dials appear: collector shorthand for matte dials with noticeably larger lume plots.

Movement notes

The 5512 runs through three calibers across the full production span: 1530 early, 1560 in the middle, 1570 late. The split that matters is between early non-chronometer watches and the later chronometer movements, not between minor spec changes inside each family.

Early two-line 5512s share 1530 territory with the early 5513. The 1560 and 1570 are the mature chronometer movements that define the later 5512.

Some first-generation square-crown-guard watches are documented with caliber 1570, against the usual early-equals-1530 sequence. The pairing is documented; the reason is not.

Dial map

• 
  Crown-guard Submariner dial
• 
  Eagle Beak dial
• 
  Matte feet-first dial
• 
  Matte meters-first dial
• 
  Pointed crown-guard gilt dial
• 
  Square crown-guard gilt dial

The useful first split is gilt versus matte, followed by two-line, four-line, meters-first, feet-first, and Maxi configurations. Collector names such as Underline, Neat Font, and Bart Simpson are labels for particular dial details, not Rolex factory designations.

Early two-line and gilt

Two-line gilt dial with pointed crown guards

Tropical two-line gilt dial close-up

Early 5512 examples can be two-line, before the reference settled into the four-line chronometer layout. These non-COSC two-line dials sit only in the earliest production. Two-line gilt examples with square or pointed crown guards are documented early configurations; published sources do not establish a reliable population count.

The two-line configuration carries the depth rating and "SUBMARINER" only, with no chronometer certification text. The four-line configuration adds "SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER" and "OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED" (the SCOC text). A very early OCC layout is reported in collector literature, with "OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED / CHRONOMETER" in place of the later SCOC wording. It is best treated as an attributed variant rather than a general production rule.

Text colour patterns evolved across the gilt run. In 1959–1960, mixed silver and gold text combinations appear: depth rating in silver, "SUBMARINER" in gold, with SCOC text (when present) in silver. From 1961–1962 with the MK1 Old Font coronet, two-line dials have both lines in silver. With the newer coronet types from 1961–1962, two-line dials show both lines in gold, while four-line dials have the first two lines in gold and the SCOC lines in silver. From 1963 onward the standard pattern is the first two lines in gilt with SCOC text in silver.

Four-line gilt

Four-line gilt dial close-up — SCOC text, Swiss T<25

Four-line gilt dials add chronometer certification text below the depth rating.

Matte white-letter dials

5512 with matte dial on wrist

After approximately 1967 the 5512 moves from gilt to matte white-letter dials, in step with the wider Submariner line. Matte 5512s include meters-first, feet-first, and late Maxi examples; the subtype boundaries are too soft to force into a rigid chart.

Collector references use names such as "Meters First Neat Font" for particular matte dial layouts. A serif typeface is also reported on some early-1970s examples. These labels describe observed printing differences; they are not a substitute for serial, caseback, and movement evidence.

Gilt to matte transition

The gilt-to-matte transition happens around 1967, but the exact boundary is fuzzy. Some late-gilt and early-matte examples overlap in the serial number range.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

The 5512 is the first Submariner with crown guards, and its case is larger than the 38mm case of the preceding 6536/1. Sources measure it at about 39.5mm or round it to 40mm. The measurement should be understood as approximate, since case condition and measuring method vary.

Crown-guard shape changes from square to eagle-beak and pointed forms, then to the rounded profile. “Eagle beak” and “Cornino” are collector terms, not Rolex factory designations.

The crystal is an acrylic super dome, commonly identified with the model 19 or Tropic 39 family. The watch has the standard no-date Submariner format and rotating bezel. Long 5 inserts are documented on 1960s examples, but an insert can be replaced and should not date the case by itself.

Some early gilt dials show an exclamation dot below the 6 o’clock lume plot. Collectors commonly associate it with the change in luminous material, but the dial alone does not prove the chemistry. The radium-to-tritium transition occurred during the 1960s, and later printing uses "SWISS T<25".

Chapter ring timing: gilt 5512 dials from 1959 through 1962 carry a characteristic gold-tone connected minute track (the chapter ring) around the dial periphery. From 1963 onward the chapter ring is absent, unless the dial is a carryover from an earlier production year. A chapter ring combined with an underline is uncommon in published examples; caseback dating still needs to be checked on the individual watch.

Bezel authentication: Fat Font Mark 1 and the "Kissing 40"

Some early 5512 bezels are described as Fat Font Mark 1, with thick numerals and a closely spaced "40" at the 40-minute position. Those features can help compare an insert with period examples, but bezel inserts are replaceable parts.

The Mark 2 transition is often placed in the mid-1960s, although the boundary is not firmly documented. A thin-font insert or a different numeral layout may indicate a later replacement, but it is not proof by itself. Authentication requires the insert, case, dial, and movement to agree.

Gilt dial authentication

Gilt 5512 dials need careful authentication because replacement and refinished dials exist. Comparison points include the chapter ring, hash marks, coronet, print weight, letter spacing, and depth-rating format. Those details should agree with the case and movement date.

Late gilt examples from approximately 1966 can show what collectors call a "Bart Simpson" coronet. The name describes the outline and colour used in collector literature; it is not a Rolex term. A bright coronet still needs to match the watch’s other dating evidence.

Coronet evolution across the gilt era: 5512 gilt production used at least seven identifiable coronet shapes, which serve as dating and authentication aids:

1. MK1 / "Old Font" coronet (1959–1962): The last spike on the right side of the coronet extends further down than the other four spikes, reminiscent of coronets on the preceding big-crown Submariners (6538). Term attributed to collector Marcello Pisani.
2. Longer spikes coronet (1961–1962): Coronet with noticeably longer spikes than the Old Font.
3. Shorter spikes / rounder coronet (1961–1962): More round at the bottom with shorter spikes.
4. Tulip coronet (1961–1962): Distinctively shaped, named for its tulip-like appearance.
5. Elongated spikes coronet (1963): Broad base with very long spikes. Published examples are less common than the classic form.
6. Classic coronet (1963–1966): More broad and wide at the bottom than predecessors. Became the most common coronet for the remainder of gilt-gloss production.
7. Bart Simpson coronet (1966): Produced at the very end of gilt-gloss production. Named because the coronet resembles the outline of Bart Simpson's head.

Coronet shape can be compared with the serial and caseback date, but it is one check among several. A mismatch is a reason to investigate the dial, not proof that it is replaced.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

The documented fitment arc is familiar: 7206/80 early, 9315 with 280 or 380 in the middle, 93150/580 late. That is a fitment map, not a delivery record for any single watch.

Observed examples back up the caution. Early documented watches wear rivet bracelets, while a late Maxi example wears 93150/580 with a clasp dated later than the watch head — useful for understanding survival patterns, weak as evidence of original delivery.

Packaging deserves the same caution. One early high-end example is recorded as box and paper, but it does not establish standard packaging for the reference.

Special branches

Square crown guards

Square-crown-guard 5512 examples are the first crown-guard form in the reference. Their scarcity is discussed in collector and auction literature, but no reliable population count is established here.

Pointed "Cornino" crown guards

The second-generation crown guards are the pointed Cornino form used during the early part of the run. The shape overlaps with other early guard profiles, so the case, dial, and movement need to be checked together.

Early two-line dials

Two-line dials show the 5512 before it settled into its four-line chronometer identity.

Historical market and auction record

• 
  Vintage Rolex Oyster advertisement
• 
  Period Rolex chronometer advertising
• 
  Bureaux Suisses chronometer certification, dated 1961

The surviving sale records in the research set are useful examples rather than a price guide. Grey and Patina archived a 1960 tropical gilt example at $75,000 and a 1965 four-line gilt example at $32,500. Bob’s Watches archived a 1979 Maxi example at about $18,495. Each is a single dealer or archive record, and condition, originality, and included papers differ.

A Sotheby's listing for a 1967 5512 with caliber 1570 movement and inner caseback marked 5513 describes the watch correctly in the lot copy but mislabels it as a date watch in the title despite the no-date dial. The listing is documented but unreliable as a benchmark.

Crown-guard shape is one of several factors collectors compare with dial, case, movement, and condition. It can help place an early watch in the run, but it is not a production date by itself.

Related references

• Submariner 5517: "MilSub", military issue (1971–1974)
• Submariner 1680: first date Sub, "Red Sub" (1969–1979)
• Submariner 5513: non-date classic (1962–1989)
• Submariner 5508: 1957–1961
• Submariner 5510: big crown, caliber 1530 (1957–1958)
• Submariner 6538: big crown (1956–1959)

See also the Submariner family index, movement reference, bracelet & clasp guide, and serial numbers by year.

• 
  5512 Submariner with crown guards
• 
  Square crown guards
• 
  Pointed Cornino crown guards
• 
  5512 dial detail
• 
  5512 matte-dial example

Sources

• RolexHaven.com — serial-level Small Crown Submariner documentation
• The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
• History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2, The 55XX References and 1680 Date — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
• Collector's Guide: What To Know About The Rolex Submariner Reference 5512 — Charlie Dunne, Wind Vintage
• Reference Points: Understanding The Rolex Submariner — Stephen Pulvirent, Hodinkee
• 1960 Rolex 5512 Tropical Gilt Tulip Submariner W/Box & Paper — Grey and Patina, Grey and Patina
• 1965 Rolex 5512 Gilt Submariner — Grey and Patina, Grey and Patina
• Vintage Rolex Submariner 5512 — Bob's Watches editorial staff, Bob's Watches
• Rolex Reference 5512 Submariner, A Stainless Steel Automatic Wristwatch With Bracelet, Circa 1967 — Sotheby's, Sotheby's
• The Rolex Square Crown Guard Submariner Reference 5512 — Revolution Watch editorial, Revolution Watch
• In depth-review Rolex 5512 Submariner — Edmond Saran, Le Monde Edmond

• 5513 Matte Dial and Gilt-Gloss 5512 Submariner — Comprehensive Reviews — Beaumont Miller II, 5513mattedial.com

Named contributors: Gilt-gloss dial research by Beaumont Miller II (5513mattedial.com), with acknowledged contributions from Marcello Pisani (originator of the "Old Font" coronet terminology).